LOUISVILLE (WHAS11) -- It's a topic few men like to talk about, but a necessary one, especially if you are over the age of 45. It's time you start thinking about prostate cancer screenings.
It affects about one in seven men in their lifetime and many won't experience symptoms until it's late stage. It's also hitting younger men, 6 times the number we saw 20 years ago.
"The most important message of course, is to start with routine screening," Dr. John Jurige, with First Urology in Louisville said.
Dr. Jurige says you can detect cancer through blood tests and prostate exams, but more recently the MRI has become the go-to choice since it can find abnormalities not usually detected on a physical exam. It can pinpoint the exact location of the cancer which better determines treatment. Outpatient procedures, like the HIFU, and immunotherapy are game changers for people who've developed late-stage prostate cancer.
"I think patients are beginning to understand that prostate cancer and the treatment doesn't necessarily mean that a man's quality of life, his sexual functioning and bladder functioning are going to suffer. So, that type of impediment to a man seeking out evaluation is gradually being broken away," Jurige said.
If you're still uneasy about certain outcomes, Dr. Jurige says, ask someone who's already gone through it.
"I don't think there's anything better for a patient than to speak to another patient about his experience, man to man," Jurige said.